In general, semantic networks provide a way to convey relationships between different entities. For example, a semantic network can include a number of resource nodes. Links between the resource nodes in a semantic network typically indicate a relationship from one resource to another.
If presented properly, a semantic network can be very useful for identifying relationships between the same or different types of resources. For example, a node of a semantic network can represent a core idea. The core idea may not be adequately described via use of a mere label specifying the core idea. Use of a semantic network enables one to easily display additional information associated with the core idea. As an example, information associated with a core idea node can be represented as additional nodes in the semantic network. Such additional nodes can represent information such as documents, text, pictures, links to websites, etc. associated with the core idea.
A presence of links between the core idea node and other nodes enables a viewer to quickly identify a degree to which the additional nodes are related to the core idea. For example, a direct link between a satellite node and a core node can indicate that the satellite node is closely related to the core idea. Nodes that are present in the semantic network but that are not directly connected to the core idea node can represent more tangential concepts.